


Keep Me Warm

by SunshineSkies13



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Light Angst, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Stubborn Katara (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24779356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineSkies13/pseuds/SunshineSkies13
Summary: Zutara bed-sharing and stumbling over feelings in operation “Don’t Let Katara Freeze”(Were also going to pretend they’re in their early 20s not young teenagers here please and thank you)
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 390





	Keep Me Warm

She’s the last of the gang to get it. 

Maybe because she’s purposefully not paying attention to him at first. Maybe because it isn’t actually that cold out yet. Maybe because it’s easier to ignore the signs than admit she might actually _need_ him. 

Whatever the case, it takes a couple weeks. Weeks full of new normals and rocky truces and side glances that melt from suspicious to curious to just sort of softly lingering. 

And it actually happens as they are going to bed. She’s just finished buttoning up her second parka and slipping into her sleeping bag when drooping eyes land on the firebender. 

“Hey!” Katara all but launches herself to her feet, hurtling across the camp they’ve made for the night. “Zuko!” 

The firebender, half asleep, starts at his name and lazily rolls onto his side. Then he sees a very agitated and then snapping up into a seated position as he sees her making a beeline for him. She ignores the alarm in his eyes, tunnel vision only registering the flimy t-shirt clinging to his chest. 

Crashing down on her knees next to his sleeping pad, her worst fears are confirmed as she places a hand against his forehead, then sliding it down to cup his cheek. 

“Zuko, you’re burning up.” Katara’s eyes cast around the campsite, seeking out any spare blankets. “Lie down, I’ll go find you something to bundle you up with, you’re supposed to sweat out a fever -” Soka’s laugh, boisterous and full, causes her head to whip around. _“What is so funny?”_

“Sparky’s a firebender, Katara.” Toph grumbles from her sleeping bag when Soka fails to compose himself. “Hence, controls fire, hence, controls heat, hence, controls _his_ heat.” 

“Heeeeence…” Soka finally manages, settling back into his sleeping bag and whipping away a rogue laughter tear. “Jerkbender doesn't have to suffer through the winter like the rest of us shlumps.” 

There’s a small stretch of silence where Toph rolls so her back is to the group with a “noweveryoneshhhhh”, Soka immediately falls back asleep, and Katara can feel own face become suddenly very hot. 

“It’s why the rest of us all sleep so close to him.” Aang offers, giving her a sheepish smile between yawns. “He’s a portable radiator.” 

Then he too rolls over and Katara realizes that throughout the whole spectacle Zuko’s just been silently staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. Oh, and her hand is still caressing his face. 

_Fuck_. Katara drops her hand and jumps to her feet. Zuko raises his eyebrows at her and she realizes she must have actually cursed out loud. She decides to do it again. 

“Fuck, sorry -” 

“No, it’s cool -” 

“It’s just Aang needs a healthy firebending teacher -” 

“That’s the only reason you…?” 

“Yeah of course I just -” 

“You what?” 

“What? Nothing -” 

“ _Ohmygodshutup!”_ Toph flicks a barrage of pebbles at the two of them and instantaneously constructs an earth tent around her with a growl. 

Once she’s sure the pebbles have stopped falling, Katara lowers the arm she threw in front of her face and all but jogs away from the firebender back to her bedroll. 

“Hey!” It comes as a soft hiss through the darkness as she’s crawling back into her sleeping bag. “You can sleep over here too…. Like…. If you want?” 

Finally zipped back up into her bag, Katara simply rolls over and tries to sleep. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s unanimously decided that it would be a very bad thing for an exiled fire prince to be found in a major Fire Nation city. It’s also unanimously decided that “a big hood” wasn’t actually a good solution to “how are you supposed to get around unnoticed?” 

“Relax, Sir Sparks A Lot,” Sokka jeers as he finishes packing a bag. “Just think of it as a vacation. Two days off, when’s the last time you had that?” 

“I had plenty of time doing nothing when I was exiled with my Uncle.” Zuko grumbles, staring daggers at Soka’s overnight bag as if it had personally insulted him. 

“Doesn't count, you were in emotional and moral turmoil then.” Sokka jibes back easily, straightening and throwing the bag over his shoulder. “Alright gang, food and scouting time!” 

“Wait! I need a few more minutes!” Katara’s hands flew through her belongings, trying to determine what was worth leaving behind for a night or two. 

“Hey, hold on, I thought the princess was staying here?” Toph asked. Katara snapped her head up. 

“I am?” 

“Well yeah?” Sokka shrugged. “We didn’t think you’d approve of us leaving the -” He dropped his bag to free up his hands to make air quotes. “‘Untrustworthy, no-good, backstabbing, son-of-a-firelord’ alone and unattended for the night?” 

Katara’s eyes flickered over to the firebender for a moment, silently wondering why that thought actually hadn’t crossed her mind. She glanced back at Soka, who was giving her a weird look, and then quickly cleared her throat.

“Um, yeah, that’s… yeah. Yeah I should stay.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  


It’s the coldest night they’ve had so far. It _has_ to be. She’s absolutely miserable. 

Just as she thinks she’s almost succeeded in drifting off into something kind of like sleep, another gust of wind howls through the trees above them and seemingly rips through her sleeping bag. Funny, she didn’t think it had any holes. 

“Are you still alive over there?” Zuko’s raised his voice so it carries over the wind. It’s actually the first thing he’s said since the rest of the gang left on their exploration. 

“Alive!” Katara bites out. Then vaguely wonders what is wrong with her and how she got so stubborn. She knows what he’s implying. 

“You don’t sound very alive!”

She sucks in a breath but doesen’t answer. Fuck, he’s wearing her down. Would it really be such a bad thing to accept help from him? She takes another breath. No, screw it, she can handle this. It’s fine. 

“Katara!” She can’t see anything and the wind is still blowing something loud and fierce, but it sounds like he’s getting closer.

“Katara! Katara, seriously, are you-” And then there is the sensation of a foot in her stomach, a strangled yell, a whole ass body ontop of her and - and warmth. Holy shit. It’s so warm. 

“Fuuuuuuuuck sorry.” Zuko rolls off of her and she realizes he must have literally tripped over her body on his way to find her.

“Told you I’m alive.” She mutters, eyes closed and guiltily basking in the heatsink of a man in front of her.

“Hey.” His voice lowers and she feels soft, warm hands carefully cupping her face. “Katara you’re really cold. Like scary hypothermia go-to-sleep-and-never-wakeup cold.”

“Imfine.” 

“Let me see your hands.” She tries to lift them out of the sleeping bag, but her movements are slow and uncoordinated and after a long couple of seconds she feels him reach into the bag and help pull out her arm and uncurl her fists. There’s a sharp intake of breath. 

“Yikes, okay, you’re also getting frostbite.” Katara bites out a laugh at that one. 

“I live in the South Pole for years and finally get frostbite in the _Fire Nation_.” She’s so cold this all feels like a dream. 

“Yeah, well, you’re missing all your fancy seal furs.” 

“True.” After a couple seconds of trying, she realizes she’s unable to come back with a sarcastic reply and settles for just stating the obvious. “Well, I don’t have those anymore.” 

There’s a long stretch of silence. She suddenly feels very tired for someone who was just too cold to sleep. 

“Hey,” She can’t see him in the dark, but hears him clear his throat. “You got me instead.” His voice is gravel and more serious than she’s heard it in a long time. “If you want, of course.” Another pause. “Also it’d really suck to have to watch you freeze to death if you won’t let me help.” 

And then, laying on the freezing ground with the howls of the wind roaring in her ears and a firebender knelt in front of her waiting for consent, she’s struck with the thought: _How did I get here? What the actual fuck is going on?_

And then it feels like something shifts in her chest, and a thought that has been growing and growing the past few weeks finally gets its feet under it, and clicks in her head: 

_The old Zuko, who chased you and your friends around the globe ranting about honor and betraying you in Ba Sing Se, has grown up. He’s gone. And there is a man in his place that has fought tooth and nail, trial after trial, and against all odds, to forge compassion and kindness, a strong sense of self, and a goddamn moral compass. And he is right beside you, and offering to help._

“Yeah.” She’s near convulsing with shivers now. “Yeah, is it okay if you...I mean...is it alright if I ask for -” 

Things seem to happen very fast, then. 

Strong arms, gathering her up. Carrying her to another bedroll. Her parka being unfastened, then her in just her under clothes. Him, in just his boxers. Now lying down, tangled up in a cocoon of blankets and limbs. The sound of a heartbeat. And warm, warm, warm. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She wakes up slowly to soft sunlight pressing against her eyelids and the sound of just a simple breeze dancing through tree branches above. As she stirs, she hears a soft moan and something strengthens a hold around her waist. The bliss Katara feels blinking her eyes open and discovering she didn’t dream the whole thing up is indescribable. 

Sleep softens Zuko. The hard edges in his face and the harsh contour of muscle in his chest and shoulders appear less severe and intimidating, at least from what Katara can see from her place in his arms. 

Although she tries not to move and wake him, his eyes finally blink open and find hers. The corners of his mouth tug up as he gazes down at her, and she decides the gold is her favorite color. 

“How are you?” Zuko’s voice is low, rough with sleep. 

“Perfect.” She starts to move her hand, already pressed against his back in their embrace, in small circles. As she studies his face closer, she’s suddenly alarmed to see the dark circle shadowing his good eye. “You look like you haven’t slept.” 

“I did sleep.”She raises an eyebrow, and he heaves a sigh. “I did, really. Just... in intervals.” He flashes her a sheepish smile. “Wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

This declaration, it doesn’t shock her. Not like it might have a month ago. Instead, she feels something warm in her chest and pushes herself up. His eyes widen for a split second, as if afraid he’s said something wrong and she’s going to up and leave, but she just raises herself off the sleeping roll a bit further until she’s able to reach and then captures his mouth with hers. 

He makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat, and then what’s happening clicks and he’s rolling her over so he’s on top, his hand fisting in her hair, groaning softly as she gently tugs at his bottom lip between her teeth. 

“You’re amazing.” He murmurs between kisses, cupping the back of her neck now with his hand and trailing kisses down the base of her throat. 

Katara finds it funny she was so cold last night, because now it feels like she’s on fire. 

When they finish, she’s utterly boneless, and he’s admiring her through heavily-hooded eyes. 

“If you weren’t tired before you must be absolutely dead now.” She teases, reaching over and carding her hand through his hair. Zuko chuckles, then rolls over to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. 

“You could say that.” 

She feels his breaths becoming deeper and slower, and gently brushes her finger tips up and down over the broad expanse of his back. 

“Let me repay the favor and look after you now.” She murmurs. “Get some sleep, I’ll keep watch.” 

She feels him lean slightly forward and brush his lips against her neck in a ‘thankyou’ before settling back down on top of her. And all was well. 


End file.
